Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in New Zealand
New Zealand: Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults was 14.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in New Zealand, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 14.0% for unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in 2024.
The figure is up 31.0% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in New Zealand peaked at 19.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 2022.
New Zealand ranks 85th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 19.3% | — |
| 1992 | 19.1% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 17.9% | -6.7% |
| 1994 | 15.5% | -13.5% |
| 1995 | 12.3% | -20.6% |
| 1996 | 12.2% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 13.6% | +11.1% |
| 1998 | 15.0% | +10.3% |
| 1999 | 14.2% | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 13.5% | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | -10.4% |
| 2002 | 11.7% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | -10.6% |
| 2004 | 9.7% | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 9.8% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 9.9% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 10.1% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 11.4% | +13.0% |
| 2009 | 16.8% | +46.9% |
| 2010 | 17.4% | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 17.5% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 18.0% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 15.3% | -15.0% |
| 2014 | 14.1% | -7.8% |
| 2015 | 13.9% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 13.5% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 13.0% | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 11.8% | -8.8% |
| 2019 | 11.3% | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | +10.2% |
| 2021 | 10.5% | -15.7% |
| 2022 | 9.4% | -10.8% |
| 2023 | 10.7% | +14.4% |
| 2024 | 14.0% | +31.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.5% | 12.2% | 19.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 9.7% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 11.3% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.4% | 9.4% | 14.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 82 Maldives 14.8% compare
- 83 Tajikistan 14.6% compare
- 84 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 14.3% compare
- 86 Lithuania 13.7% compare
- 87 Latvia 13.6% compare
- 88 Azerbaijan 13.5% compare
More work & labour data for New Zealand
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0748 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0721 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0776 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.4877 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,200 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 511.04 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,819 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,994 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,812 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in New Zealand?
- Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in New Zealand was 14.0% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate: young vs. older adults recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate: young vs. older adults recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 2022.
- How does New Zealand rank for unemployment rate: young vs. older adults?
- New Zealand ranks 85th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment rate: young vs. older adults rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force aged 15-24 without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.